El Paso-Las Cruces Market Profile
DMA RANK: 91
TV HOUSEHOLDS: 336,570TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS: 346,900TV PENETRATION: 97%
CABLE PENETRATION: 43%ADS PENETRATION: 30%OVER THE AIR: 26%
El Paso Local Economy & Culture
Key Industry/Employment
El Paso is located on the U.S./Mexico border near Ciudad Juarez, which has the highest concentration of maquila employment in Mexico. It is also on the Texas/New Mexico border. Because of this unique position, trade is a significant portion of the El Paso economy. After government with 61,700 employees, trade, transportation, and utilities is the largest employment sector in the area with 54,700 employees. There is a strong military presence in El Paso with Fort Bliss, Holloman Air Force Base, and the White Sands Missile Range in the area. Fort Bliss is expected to gain 27,000 additional active duty personnel by 2013, which will bring the total to 37,000. An additional 36,800 family members will also relocate to the region, 15,800 of which will be working-age spouses. The total economic impact is expected to be $6.4 billion annually by 2013. Call centers have a major presence in El Paso. In 2005, 7 of the top 10 business employers were call center operations. The numbers were expected to grow in the following years.
Local Economy
2010 retail sales for El Paso County were $8.5 billion. The downtown area alone has more than 125 retail stores, 70 restaurants, 30 bars and nightclubs, and 4 hotels. The average household income in 2008 was $51,735 and the per capita income was $28,071, which ranked 349 in metro areas in the U.S. And 17.6% of the population had household income between $50,000 and $75,000 and 9.1% between $75,000 and $100,000.
Most Popular Lifestyles
El Pasoans report more than average that they believe American car companies set the standard and that they prefer luxury vehicles. El Pasoans report more than average that they are the first among their friends to try new styles, that they keep with the latest fashion trends, that they buy the latest fashions each season, and that they enjoy clothing shopping. More than average, El Pasoans use the internet as their primary source of entertainment.
Some Unique Characteristics
82.5% of the population in El Paso is Hispanic. With 300 sunny days on average each year, El Paso is called the ?Sun City.? El Paso is situated near natural habitats like the Rio Grande River, the Franklin Mountains, and the Chihuahuan Desert. El Paso is home to University of Texas, El Paso, Texas Tech University Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, and El Paso Community. New Mexico State University is 40 minutes from downtown El Paso.
Sources: University of Texas Institute for Policy and Economic Development (http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/iped_techrep/), City of El Paso (www.elpasotexas.gov), El Paso Regional Economic Development Corporation (www.elpasoredco.org), www.city-data.com, SRDS Lifestyle (www.SRDS.com).
